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AX-15 ID and tech questions


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My BA10-5 blew up today, so I am busy getting my new to me AX-15 and NP231 ready for install. I am not sure what year it is, since it was sitting on a pallet at a JY for a few years. I saw this number (pictured below), does that help identify it? ie: year, gear ratios, what it was originally installed in . . .

W3SEEOq.jpg

 

Next up, the JY removed the shift tower when they pulled it, and broke 2 out of the 4 bolts. Anyone have a good way of removing the leftover pieces? Looking for any tips and tricks. Already tried WD-40 and vice grips. Really hoping I don't need to try drilling them out.

tfZKEKh.jpg

 

 

Is there a good site for info on the AX-15? like drain and fill holes marked, recommended lube, video for removing throwout bearing, etc. Oh, and where is the vent on these things? I can't seem to find it, or more likely I am blind.

 

Finally, last question, what is this black connector in the center of the photo? It is on the transfercase. 4wd indicator?

53iSasP.jpg

 

 

Thanks for any and all help/ info here guys.

 

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How large is the input tip shaft?  3/4" is from a 94+ AX15; 1/2" is from an 89 - 93.  (I maybe off a year on the change.)

 

(my experience: if you have an external slave cylinder AX15 [larger input tip] you should replace the clutch kit with the appropriate yr. trans kit [not the MJ yr].  Also, you will need a pilot bushing for a 74 CJ5, with a 304 engine.  This is well documented on some threads on CC.) 

 

The black connector is probably the 4wd indicator.  

 

Is the trans/tcase from and XJ or a YJ?  A YJ tcase is clocked differently than an XJ/MJ.  If a YJ, it may hit the trans tunnel on bumps.

 

For the bolts, (if you can weld) is to weld hex nuts on the top of the bolts.  Then just use a wrench to turn the bolts out.

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Should be a round tag on the tcase with numbers on it indicating build date, etc. Otherwise the big indicators for year are going to be whether its internal slave, what speed sensor it has in the tcase (if it even has one) and whether or not it's got a sealed output on the tcase. There may or may not also be differences in the pilot bearing size, so the tip of the input shaft. But I'm not too sure. 

 

I'm not sure I'd want to run a transmission when the yard couldn't tell me what it came from, and left it sitting open for a few years collecting who knows what inside. I definitely wouldn't be exciting about exchanging money for it.

 

As to getting those bolts out, you can use modelling clay or silicone/RTV to form a ring around it to trap penetrating oil and let it soak for a few days before hitting it with the vice grips again. WD40 also isn't the best option out there. 

Personally what I would do though is get some nuts that just barely slide over the ends of the broken bolts, and weld them on, effectively creating new heads for the bolts. Fill the whole nut up with weld. Wait until it's fully cooled The advantages of this are that you've firstly created a new head to turn the bolt, and secondly the act of getting the bolt cherry red and then cooling it back down might just be enough dimensional change to break the bolt loose. But then not everyone has a welder. 

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That's not a YJ transfer case.  The black connector by the transfer case shift lever is for the 4WD inidcator.  YJs have CAD D30 front axles, and that connector is at the CAD, not on the transfer case.

 

This combo is likely from an XJ with a non-CAD D30 front axle.  Does it have an external slave cylinder? 

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The transmission has an external slave, so I guess that means it is 94+. The rear driveshaft just pulls out though, so not sealed. Does that limit it to 96-?

 

I guess I will try my hand at welding on some nuts and see if I can get the bolts out that way. The backup plan can be to cut them off flush and drill it out.

 

35 minutes ago, 87MJTIM said:

BTW - did you get the cross member and trans mount?

 

Those are needed, also.

I have the cross member and trans mount from a 90 XJ (different donor than the transmission/ transfer case). Fingers crossed that the mounts on AX-15s stayed consistent through the years.

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I would highly recommend trying the weld on nut trick as many times as needed, rather than resorting to cutting/drilling those out.  It will go eventually.  I buy bags of nuts to keep around for doing this, as sometimes it's just a bear to do properly due to access, contamination, or problems with the guy running the welder, but at the end of the day it's the least damaging way to do it.

 

The AX-15 uses it's own crossmember with a drop section in it, so as long as it was an AX-15 XJ you'll be fine.  Same with the mount, they're consistent for all years of the AX-15.

 

If it was open like that for a while, I would hope it didn't get any water in it...  Be prepared to flush it.  For fluid personally I like the Amsoil MTG https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/transmission-fluid/manual/manual-transmission-and-transaxle-gear-lube-75w-90/?code=MTGQT-EA .  I think most guys run Redline MT-90 though.

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Thanks for all the advice and info. Really appreciated.

 

Awesome advise with welding nuts onto the broken bolts. As soon I put out a small fire from welding (I am a complete noob with a welder) the bolts spun right out. Was amazing.

 

I still can't locate the breather tube for the transmission. It is making me feel really stupid. What am I missing?

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22 minutes ago, JustEmptyEveryPocket said:

I still can't locate the breather tube for the transmission. It is making me feel really stupid. What am I missing?

 

There isn't one.  There's a breather on the tcase, which I marked with orange tape in the pic below.

 

20181125_193219.jpg

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Last thing I need (I hope, this swap really needs to get done and over with already).

 

I want to put on a new inner shift boot, but can't figure out how to pull the shifter handle off. I know how to remove the 4 bolts and take the shift tower off, and I know how to rotate the lock ring and remove the entire shifter, neither of which will let me put on the new inner shift boot. What I need to do is split them apart leaving the stubby small diameter piece on the shift tower, and the rest of the handle removed. I tried pulling on it and searching threads here, but didn't find much.

 

Thanks again for all the help. This forum is great.

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It hammers apart.  It's hard to describe.  Too bad I threw out the one I had here, or I could take a picture of it apart.  Basically you'll see there's a square "key" stock like piece that goes into the bottom of the bulb shaped piece of the upper part of the shifter, mount the lower square part in a vice and take a big cacksnorklin' hammer with a brass punch and hit the bulbed part like you're trying to knock some sense into a millennial.  It'll come apart.  Eventually.

 

If you don't have a brass punch you can either accept you're going to mar it by using a steel punch, or you can try a piece of wood or something.  I like brass, but I'm no auto mechanic.

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There was a factory tool for splitting the shifter handle. Several years ago I asked my dealership if I could borrow theirs for a day (the parts manager and shop foreman are friends). Shop foreman said they had tossed it years before, to make room in the tool crib for tools to work on the newer models. My guess is they never had any need for that tool.

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5 minutes ago, Eagle said:

There was a factory tool for splitting the shifter handle. Several years ago I asked my dealership if I could borrow theirs for a day (the parts manager and shop foreman are friends). Shop foreman said they had tossed it years before, to make room in the tool crib for tools to work on the newer models. My guess is they never had any need for that tool.

 

I'm guessing it was a fork that you'd hit with a hammer, or something like that, if it was really fancy it would be a fork you could put in a press.  Rather than a punch a guy could put an open ended wrench or crescent wrench around it and hit the wrench, I suppose.  Like I said, I've got brass punches and like using them.

 

The good news is nobody else will ever likely see the underside of it, so if you do mar it a bit it, it won't be the end of the world.

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I read the suggestion somewhere (maybe here on on NAXJA) several years ago of slipping a piece of hacksaw blade into the flat part where the 2 pieces join and hammering it in to release the two.  I remember trying it once, and wasn't very successful.  The best way I found was to apply liberal amounts of PB blaster or similar and let it sit for a day or 10, then clamp the lower part in a bench vise.  Slide a crescent wrench up to the connector and then wail on the end of the wrench head like it owes you money.  I wouldn't use my best crescent for this.:laugh:

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On November 27, 2018 at 6:44 PM, JustEmptyEveryPocket said:

Alrighty. So to sum it up, its time to let out some of my aggression. I have a 4 pound hammer, both steel and brass punches, and a young man's arm. I will reply back and let yall know how it goes.

 

And then?....???? :banana:

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You all were putting me on. I took the handle out of the truck, snugged it in my vice, gathered my tools, and prepared for a long battle. Three hits later and it was done. I guess I shouldn't complain, but I was expecting more.

 

I took the truck for a test drive tonight. Ran it up and down through the gears a few times. Everything seems good. It is so nice to have synchronizers on 1st and 2nd gear again, and to lose the awful howl in fourth and fifth.

 

Only issue I am left with is the speedometer. When I put the gear in the transfercase (from my old transfercase) I didn't do anything special. Just popped it in, clocked it properly, and snugged down the holding fork. This was before I installed everything under my truck. I even put the old driveshaft in it and turned it to make sure the end of the gear turned, which it did. I am therefore surprised that my speedo is not working. Anyone have any ideas for that?

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